Hi everyone!

I’m back again with another blog post. It was lovely to have you all join me in my first blog, 'Week in the Life: MSc Clinical Health Psychology Edition'. If you haven’t checked that one out yet, do take a look!

Now for my new blog: Rep Talks it is! If you remember, one of the smaller but important things I shared before in my first blog was that I became the Postgraduate School of Psychology Representative. Well, since then, I’ve had a whole bunch of new experiences. So, let’s start right at the beginning.

Life as a School Rep

I always carried this vague notion, like many people do, that “admin work” might not really create visible impact and that organisations don’t always listen as closely as they could to the people at the heart of them.  But I also knew better than to hold onto a negative idea without experiencing it for myself. So, I did it.

I wrote a manifesto: practical, realistic, and something I could genuinely achieve for students. Then came the responsibility: to stand for the student body, to represent their voice to the Students' Union (SU), and to bring information and updates back to the students.

It’s been a completely different experience; chairing meetings for the PGT Student Voice Committee, following agendas, managing time, gathering updates etc. If you don’t already know, there are different levels to this: there’s your School-level Education Committee (EdComm) meetings, Faculty-level meetings every other Friday (for EPS in my case), the PG Academic Board, and wider Student Council meetings which are super transparent and the agendas are available on the SU website or even shared temporarily through Instagram stories.

Organisation is the most important skill in all this. You learn to juggle meeting times, deadlines, and action points. Then comes time management, good observation, and note-taking skills, so you can accurately record minutes and follow up on them individually. Add to that leadership, communication, problem-solving, and something I’d call ‘adaptive engagement’ - knowing what works best for your specific cohort and adjusting your approach. For us, word-of-mouth and informal chats were what really worked. Staying approachable, hosting meet-ups, or sharing anonymous forms for queries can go a long way in making students feel heard.

As the year went by, I realised that carrying this responsibility, even for a short while, teaches you things that reading or theory alone never can. And as the academic year drew to a close, it felt incomplete to just wrap it all up with reports and meetings; so, we did something more.

Formal Farewell Party/Signing off Gala 2025 - Psychology

Being a Student Rep is also about finding ways to bring people together. I felt it would be a bit incomplete to end the academic year without something that helped us all connect outside the usual university corridors.

That’s when Ms. Yashika Karamchandani, the Course Rep for Applied Developmental Psychology, and I decided to plan an event: a kind of informal farewell, formal, prom; definitely not the fancy, expensive type. We wanted it to be accessible, simple, and fun; an event where postgrads could just hang out, relax, and actually meet people from other courses and levels within Psychology.

Where It Started

We began with some brainstorming. First, we decided our main goal was to keep it inclusive: for PGT and PGR students, full-time, part-time, diploma, postgraduate certificate or foundational courses; whoever wanted to join. We also wanted to make sure people could actually afford it. You know how typical formals can be? So extravagant that sometimes you just want to skip them altogether. We thought: what if we made it the opposite?

Funding 

Keeping costs low meant we needed funding support. That’s when we went for the SU Fund It opportunity. In case you don’t know, the Students’ Union can fund students, clubs, and societies up to £500 for an event; but there are regulations. For example, you can only use up to 20% of that (£100) on catering.

"We wanted it to be accessible, simple, and fun; an event where postgrads could just hang out, relax, and actually meet people from other courses and levels within Psychology."

We filled in the application, got shortlisted, did a short presentation (less than 7 minutes, you really have to be clear and convincing!), and waited. Thankfully, we were awarded the funding, which covered the essentials and more and helped us keep the ticket price super cheap for students.

Getting Societies On Board

We realised pretty quickly that two reps alone can’t pull off an event like this smoothly. So, we approached a few societies to collaborate especially for logistics and promotion of the event. Societies are ratified, meaning they have the permissions to book rooms, rent equipment from the SU and generally make bits easier.

For us, Nightline and the Psychology Research Collective Society were amazing collaborators. Nightline in particular brought a thoughtful touch with interactive segments. We also got help from Handy Helpers, who shared their famous enormous flowers you might’ve seen around the SU, and our own friends who turned up to help decorate the space and get everything ready on the day.

Food, Venue and Entertainment

Venue-wise, we booked The Cube inside the SU. It’s always a best practice to keep the SU reception updated about your event with risk assessments, bookings for entertainment, and food allergens.

Pro tip: check what the SU or the university already have connections with, like QUB Catering or local vendors that offer student discounts.

As for entertainment, we kept it fun but simple. We had a photobooth with unlimited snaps, a professional photographer, a candy cart, live music, small gift bags for everyone, Nightline’s games corner. All these added little touches that made the event feel special without costing a fortune.

Managing Guest List and Tickets

We sold tickets at two levels. Online was the easiest. Eventbrite worked best for us but do keep in mind about the ticketing fee; we opted for the absorb fees. Also, you only get the money three days after the event, so plan expenses accordingly. Our second ticketing option was sales at the door, which worked out slightly differently in terms of the cost down to the last few cents. Huge respect to Yashika, she managed it all! Hats off to her!

"Our main goal was to keep it inclusive: for PGT and PGR students, full-time, part-time, diploma, postgraduate certificate or foundational courses; whoever wanted to join."

We allowed students to bring one guest but made sure they registered under the Psychology student’s name to keep the guest list organised.

Communication and Support

Big shoutout to the School of Psychology for helping us share event announcements via email and Canva posters, and for kindly providing merch like travel cups and pens for our goodie bags. Our Student Officer, Avril, was also a huge help, and so were Barry and the SU members; their support made the whole thing possible.

One last time, A special mention to Yashika, an absolute star!!!!

And yes, my notions were wrong. The SU, the School, the Faculty, and the University, all work so hard to adjust, welcome us, try new ideas (and retry old ones mindfully!), hold strategic meetings, tackle challenges proactively, and even come up with things no one expected, all just to make our student experience better, which was so heartwarming to see up close and be part of.

I started this article by saying it’s wise to form opinions through experience but here’s something to remember before you go: Even if your experiences sometimes confirm your negative notions, don’t get stuck there. Every outcome is shaped by circumstances, people, and a thousand unseen factors. Be curious enough to dive deeper, experiment further, and stay open to having an experience that might even prove you wrong. There’s always room to grow, and always more to learn.

"The SU, the School, the Faculty, and the University, all work so hard to adjust, welcome us, try new ideas (and retry old ones mindfully!), hold strategic meetings, tackle challenges proactively, and even come up with things no one expected."

I hope all you current, new, and future reps remember to add this “adaptive engagement” skill to your CVs and résumés!

Signing off - Florence Diana Charles, your friendly Rep and full-time (self-appointed) pro-event manager!!

Catch you in my next blog!

Find out more

MSc Clinical Health Psychology

Queen's SU

Blog: A Reflection on My Experience as a Course Rep

Florence Diana Charles MSc Clinical Health Psychology | Postgraduate Student | India Hi, I am Florence Diana Charles. I’m an interdisciplinary enthusiast who thrives in the in-between; where ideas blur and psychology just makes sense as it blends. I care about meaning: in people, in patterns, in how we think, feel, and grow. I’m endlessly curious, sometimes stubborn, and always trying, even on my busiest days. I don’t have it all figured out, but I’m here to keep learning, keep questioning, and keep showing up. Hope to see you around in my blogs!